Watch your Back: Week January 15 - 21
2024 crowdfunding starts for real this week, with six soloable games - and I'm sure I didn't find all that are going to launch. Below you'll find some reprints and some expansions and fortunately also some that are completely new to us.
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First new one: Metrorunner (1-5 players). A cyberpunk hacking and job running game, that has you collecting resources and puzzling with tiles. For solo you'll play against a card-driven bot. It will be on Kickstarter this Tuesday, 16 January, and a mini-expansion with side quests called Dropsite will be included in the pledge.
Personal opinion: Sounds like I would love the setting and get bored by the gameplay. But I'll check it out and hope to be pleasantly surprised.
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In the next installment of the Spire's End series you can choose-your-path by turning over cards to learn the story of Rangitaki. This solo game is set in a swashbuckling fantasy world, and no prior knowledge of the series is needed. Launching on Kickstarter 16 January.
Personal opinion: The cover made me smile so I watched a video. Turns out that looking at cards with some kind of caricature indiginious artwork got on my nerves pretty soon. Pity. Could be fun to play though, I'll ask Zerbique. He'll know. But I'll skip.
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Knight (1-4 players) is a scenario based flip-and-write game in a medieval setting. You'll fight wars, plague, or flood, try to expand your kingdom or get new lords elected, and things like that. An automated opponent will get in your way when playing solo. We'll find out more details when it launches on Kickstarter, 16 January.
Personal opinion: Somehow I don't really enjoy playing roll and writes (or flip and writes). And yet I'm always curious for them! 🤷♂️ So I'll check the details and price. But chances are low that I'll actually back it (I tell myself).
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This week DVG will bring the game Vikings: Become the Legend (1-5 players) to Kickstarter. In the game you'll build and defend your settlement, then acquire wealth to win. The base game contains two clans, but several expansions bring new clans that you can play as - or against. Plus advanced game options, so you can gradually make the game more complicated.
There's no page on BoardGameGeek yet, I'm afraid. But then again, if you're curious, it's almost 16 January.
Personal opinion: I'm safe here. Not very interested in the Viking era, or in handling automa.
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In the cooperative fantasy board game Blood Throne: The Tower of Sacrifice (1-7 players) you'll have to defend the nation against a monster that tries to become a god. It has a narrative campaign in which you roll dice, fight monsters, level up, gain skills and loot - the lot. Everything is very detailed. For example, the monsters don't just have cards with the base stats, ten icons for their actions and some special abilities on top - you also use flowcharts to see how they react.
The box contains hundreds of cards, all kind of terrain - some of it pops up in 3D -, minis, lots of dice, dual layered hero boards and more. The game can be found on Kickstarter on 18 January.
Personal opinion: I'm not into minis or pop-up terrain. I don't know, it's like with model railways. Fun for other people. That said, playing this looks like quite a time investment and it's not like there are no other fantasy campaign games available. I wonder how it will fare.
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The resource management dice wargame D-Day Dice (1-4 players) will have a final expansion and a book to round off the second edition. Funnies is a set of Legendary Units that aims to help players beat the Bunker with a smile. To Do or Die is a book containing all the rules, maps and scenarios that have been published so far, as well as a new campaign. It will also have new streamlined rules that will also be used in the upcoming 3rd Edition products - as the second edition is now almost sold out.
The campaign will launch on Kickstarter on 16 January.
Personal opinion: I've got everything else from the second edition, so even though I haven't played a tenth of the content I will probably back this as well. And then hopefully nothing from the 3rd edition in future 🙈.
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Everybody in the wider European regeion rejoice: CMON is going to reprint the coop game Masters of the Universe: The Board Game – Clash for Eternia (1-5 players) and this time especially for us lot. They don't have the license to sell it in retail in the UK, Europe, Africa or the Middle East, so it's buy now or forget about it. If you are in the US, or anywhere in the world really, you can order as well. And if you already own it from the first time around, there are two new playable characters available (Sy-Klone and Jitsu).
On Gamefound this Tuesday.
Personal opinion: I couldn't care less. I have no idea who He-Man or Skeletor are.